Looks LIke A Busy Week Ahead

I had a lovely day at church yesterday; there were many questions of course regarding the organ. After church Hubby and Daughter took me out to dinner, one of her friends came along and then we went for a drive to see the last of the fall colors. The afternoon was spent in the basement working on bikes while I played on the computer a bit, then we watched Castle DVD's and had a scrumptious cheesecake baked by my daughter.

I volunteered for a new ministry yesterday at church. I'll be making my card creations to be sent to church folks who are ill, having a baby, in need of sympathy, etc. I guess I'll be busy this winter!

Yahoo seems to be withholding some of my group mails and Facebook won't let me update my status. I'm frustrated with technology this morning.

This week we hope to get the organ speaking at least temporarily to see if everything is functioning as it should and to decide on speaker placement. I have some house work to do and extra cooking as the rest of my family is coming for a visit this weekend - Son is bringing his new girl-friend for us to meet and I think everyone is a bit nervous about how that will go. All that said, I think it will be another week where I won't be around much.

IT'S HERE!!!

It's been a crazy week. The organ arrived on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. Hubby and I had to meet the semi-truck at the edge of town and escort him to the church. The truck driver merely gets the organ onto the trucks elevator, then it's up to us to take it from there. Two men from church, the mover we hired and my mentor came to help,

he's the one second from the left with gray hair. My mentor was so obviously impressed and pleased at just the way the organ looked; meaning, it was obvious it had been taken care of. We opened up the desk and tried the key action - it felt brand new.

The pedals are barely worn. It was so great that he was there to see it with me for the first time.

We had to put it in they gym entrance until the moving crew could return with the proper equipment at 5:00 p.m. The Lord continued to bless by keeping the rain away - though it threatened all day - and by providing willing hands. Meet Pastor T, he's leaning on the rail giving me a "look" LOL.

At 5:00 we had a new crew on hand and one man that was there in the morning as well. My mentor couldn't make it back, unfortunately. The interested grad student I told you about came to the 5:00 moving and stayed long after the others left and helped Hubby put the post back in at the back door and carry the speakers, bench and pedalboard upstairs. He's the young dark-haired fellow wearing the plaid shirt; t was really nice to see him get involved. It's so cool how God brought this young man to the church at this point in time. Just his presence and his desire is proof to those who doubted me that if we had a good instrument, there would be others to follow me that would be interested in learning. Just another confirmation that this is good and right.

The organ came back out onto the street where it was walked along the side of the building and up the front steps. The climb up the steps was the scary part for me...my job was to hold open the door. 

After the business meeting Wednesday night everyone made a trip upstairs to see it. "Big" seemed to be the comment of the day. Everyone kept asking me to let them hear me play it even after we told them the speakers have to be wired in and that the key was missing. We emailed the company and discovered it was accidently left on a desk under some papers and was placed in the mail immediately with huge apologies. I'm hoping it will arrive today.

The organ looks amazing in it's new home! It was fun taking a few shots of it on Thursday with the morning light streaming in. I wasn't aware at the time how the windows were being reflected in the music rack but I think it's looks cool. 

I had a meeting with Pastor T on Thursday regarding the Thanksgiving worship service he wants to plan. It sounds like it's going to be well done, with no preaching, just some readings, congregational singing, special music, etc. I told him I will do my best to be a part of it if the installation, etc. allows. He said he understood if I didn't feel ready and that he wanted me to feel confident before I play it publicly for the first time. I have to admit though, I am feeling very overwhelmed. Also, Pastor T is excited for our recital/hymn sing that my Mentor and I are planning, but is afraid with other plans going on at the church it might have to wait until after Christmas, which might be best. He wants to do it right and even have a reception after. I was surprised to have one of our church members ask if I was planning a recital and requested to have my mentor join me.  The mover also made it clear he wants an invitation once it's planned and another member after all his complaining about buying a new organ told Hubby that he will be on hand to help run wire and install speakers. 

It's just amazing to me how God made this come together - even the road construction that I was afraid would cause trouble for the truck was finished just the day before!

Last night Hubby and I went over to assess the speaker situation and we took the back off the organ and had a look around. Hubby found the power cord and figured out how to run it out of the console. I had to caution him about climbing too high on the ladder when looking at speaker placement. I'm sure that had I not been there he would have kept going and he had nothing to hold on to. Why is it men take such risks?? He's over there again this morning and I warned him to behave himself. I hope someone else shows up to help him. He's hoping to get it wired today and if the keys arrive I can try it out tonight. The speakers won't be in place yet, but we'll have sound and I can start to practice.

Yesterday I had my annual Dr. visit and mammo. I also went to Walmart for printer ink and to the Co-op for some pantry staples. Winter is coming...we're supposed to get rain/snow mix beginning tomorrow.

This afternoon I'm having a "piano party" at the church for my students. It's a chance for them to get comfortable playing in front of others in a less threatening environment. We'll play an ice-breaker game, play our pieces, have a treat and be dismissed. I'm hoping we'll only be there an hour and a half. A few of my new students told me they can't make it which is disappointing since it's mostly for them.

Well I need to get the house straightened and cleaned and do a small alteration on a blouse for my daughter. 

Thank you for your prayers for the safe arrival of the organ. Please continue to pray for it's installation and that both it and it's organist will be a blessing to our little congregation and the community. God is good!

Come Saturday Morning

Do you remember that song? It's going through my head this morning. I miss the 'specialness' of Saturday morning...sleeping in, breakfast in the livingroom while watching cartoons...ah, cartoons - letting them run on the TV all morning...then just doing something different than the rest of the week. There was no school so if the weather was nice I was probably outside on my bicycle the entire day. Now Saturday is just another day and I spend a good share of it preparing for Sunday and the rest of the week. How I'd love to just kick back and have a fun day.

Oh well...plans for the day are to get a pork roast going in the crock-pot with sauerkraut, potatoes and carrots, start a loaf of bread in the bread maker, clean up the kitchen, juice apples, clean the kitchen again, general other household chores, scrapbook store for ATC trade...can't believe I did a dozen (actually 13, but I'm keeping one) cards in one afternoon. I have to admit sadly, they're not my best work...the theme "office supplies" didn't inspire me. After the trade I'll head to the grocery store for a few things, including the potatoes I need for the pork roast, come home and put the potatoes to boil on the stove since they are late to the party, then clean up my studio which currently is a disaster. Oh and I have to transplant my palm tree; I've been trying to get that done all week. I must make some Christmas cards soon if not this evening, then tomorrow. My ATC's for today:

We have word that the organ will be delivered either Wednesday or Thursday, please pray all goes smoothly.

I'm still having tummy issues - I've never felt like this for more than 24 hours before unless I had a virus of some kind. I don't know what I'm dealing with, but I wish it to go away now.

A Bit Sad

Tonight I'm sad. It's odd, I wouldn't think I would be...but. I got a text tonight from my brother's wife...wow...I just realized how complicated this is going to be to explain. OK...28 or so years ago my brother married his first wife, she was pregnant at the time with what we thought was my brother's child. They did fine for a while, I rolled up my sleeves and bought rummage sale clothes for them - they had nothing. I was there when the baby was born, took care of him several times...became attached. She started sleeping around and all of a sudden claimed the baby (who had features from our side of the family) wasn't my brother's afterall, they fought, nasty divorce and blood tests to prove paternity came back negative...he wasn't ours after all. Yet my mother and I always felt something wasn't quite right...results can be falsified...I don't know, I have no proof, only a feeling. I always kept him in my heart as my nephew even though I never saw him again and my brother only had contact with him on a couple of occasions. He told me once that Allan wanted to keep my brother's name, that he felt he was he father. I can see that his name was changed at some point either by him or his mother. My mother was heart broken. The photo is of him with my parents.

So tonight my brother's current wife (his third) sends me a text that Allan was killed in a car accident. He was only 28...my mind wanders... I wonder what he was like, who he came to be. My brother is currently in jail, I imagine when he hears he will take it hard - something he doesn't need right now. My thoughts turn to my mom and how much she loved him. The "what-if's" keep coming to mind...He was so young. Here is his obituary, reading it I found out a lot I didn't know:

Allan Paul Smith, 28 of Williamsburg passed away October 6, 2013 at Florence, Colorado. His happiest childhood memories were in Eureka, Montana, he moved to Florence where he attended Florence High School. After high school he, along with his sisters joined the Military and served a year-long tour in Iraq. He was so very proud of his military service and the opportunity to serve his country and defend our freedoms. He married Jackie Garcia, the love of his life in 2005 and to their union was born his daughter Baylee. He loved fishing, working on cars and mud-bogging, but most of all he loved his family. He is survived by his wife Jackie; daughter; Baylee, mother; Lorie, father; William, step-father; Randy, sisters; April, Alicia, Nicole and Madisyn, grandparents; Howard and Pauline, great grandmother; Tonya Brady, uncle; Marvin, mother and father -in-law; Boone and Darla, brother-in-law; Ben and sister-in-law; Monica. He was preceded by his grandmother; Bobbie McChesney. Visitation will be held Friday, October 11, 2013 from 6-8pm, at the Harwood Funeral Home, 225 E. Main, Florence. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, October 12, 2013 at 10am at the First Southern Baptist Church, 303 E. 3rd Street Florence, Colorado. Interment will follow at Mountain Vale Cemetery, 1700 Chestnut, Canon City, Colorado. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Jackie Smith in care of The Baptist Church of Florence. Arrangements entrusted to Harwood Funeral Services. Online condolences harwoodfunerals.com.

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/canoncitydailyrecord/obituary.aspx?n=allan-smith&pid=167464290&fhid=29059#sthash.03355aSC.dpuf

Allan was a cool guy. He was quiet but he was really funny too. Allan was proud of his little girl and proud to be a soldier. He loved bowling and was really good at it.

October 11, 2013

Allan will be greatly missed!

October 10, 2013

Jackie and Family, on behave of the Patriot Guard Riders of Southern Colorado, it is our honor to Stand and Honor your loved one. We are so sorry for your lost, you and your family are in our prayers. God Bless.

~

Daniel C. Asst State Captain,

Colorado Springs, Colorado

October 10, 2013

Allan's family-Lori, Steve, Pat, Alicia, April, Nichole, Jackie, Baylee, Will, Katherine, Garrett, Russell, Maya, Lily, Madisyn, Jeanie, Jamie, Marvin, Erika, Sheldon, Danica, Darla and all other family,

Some of you we know and some we don't. We're so sorry for your loss. Allan grew into quite a fine young man. Your family will be in our prayers. We pray that The Lord brings your family comfort during this time. God Bless.

Colorado

October 10, 2013

I am very sad to hear about allen he was a close friend. jackie and allen took my daughters and I in when we were in need and that's just how great of a person allen always was I will greatly miss him he was truely a gift from God and I enjoyed the years we worked together he left an impression on my heart that will stick with me forever

I wasn't going to try and go to the ATC trade tomorrow because I wasn't ready, but I spent the afternoon literally throwing together a dozen cards. I think I'm going to make one in Allan's honor. My desk is a mess...I should be working on Christmas cards. 

The tears come and go...I'm not sure why.  Rest in peace Allan.

Goodbye Summer

Today looks like it will be our last day for warm temps. It's been in the low 70's this week...perfect weather! 

 I need to take my palm tree outside and put it in a larger pot, then bring it back inside and I also have to juice the rest of the apples - they are starting to go bad. I didn't have any students yesterday, one cancelled and the others are on every other week and this was the off week. 

I am trying to make some Christmas cards to sell and use the materials that some ladies at church donated. I don't know now if I'm going to have an Etsy Store or not. Looking up how to get it started got me rather stressed - I'll have to open a Paypal account and probably another bank account just for that and I'm weighing cost/work involved against what I will get it return and I'm not sure it's going to be worth it. Plus, I haven't had any time to work on my scrapbooks and I'm not getting any younger. I really just want to add piano students if possible to make more money. I do feel as though I have to make a few cards and at least try to sell them one way or another so I can have something to report to those who donated materials. I got one made last night and hope to do some more today. I have two students today, a total of one hour of teaching, so I hope I can get something accomplished today. 

I haven't been feeling well the last few days so I'm on a juice fast for at least today, maybe tomorrow as well. 

Hubby gave me an early birthday present last night...CASTLE SEASON 5!!  He's so funny, he can't wait to give me gifts when he knows I'm going to love it! We spent the evening enjoying it together.

Well that's about as dry and boring as it comes; I guess I'm in get-it-done mode today and too focused on my projects and the ticking clock. 

Glorious Fall Day

 It was a glorious fall day today - almost more like summer than fall except for the colors of the trees. All my students cancelled and I almost went into town but I just couldn't justify the expense of gas, lunch out and shopping so I stayed in my studio and caught up on some correspondence and card making for family and friends. I made a get well card for Gordon, a

a card for my mother-in-law,

and one for my cousin. I just love the pumpkin stamp and my new watercolor pencils! 

They went together fairly quickly; writing the letters took most of the time. I still have one letter to compose and I hope to finish that this evening. Tomorrow I must work on my rubber stamp organization so that over the weekend I can make some cards to sell. Two days of consistent effort should get me enough to get my store open. 

This Saturday is the October ATC trade, I haven't even begun to make mine, I'm not sure I'm going to get it done this month, I have too many other things going. 

Daughter #2 stayed the night with us last night, then came back home today after she finished work and is now baking cookies while she listens to one of her books for class. It's good to have her home and though she thinks she'll head home tonight, I hope she'll stay over rather than head back in the dark while she's tired and her car isn't functioning at it's best. 

Tomorrow looks to be our last nice day for awhile. It won't be as warm as today, so I really feel as though I should go for one last walk around the lake...I probably should have gone today. 

We saw a beautiful display of the Northern Lights last night. I'll be checking the sky again tonight. 

Just Monday

Plans for today include general cleaning and straightening of the house and then down the hill for my practice time on the pipe organ and one student this evening. I'll chat with David about a few things that are on my heart regarding the new organ. I was told last night I need to decide whether I want my back to the congregation as it is now or if I want to face the pulpit with my side to the congregation as it was several years ago. Honestly, I don't know. If my back is to them I feel a little like a child when they cover their eyes thinking you can't see them, which gives me a measure of comfort and invisibility, but if I ever get the opportunity to play a wedding there, it might be helpful to look up and see who is entering the church etc.

I stole the above graphic from Linda - my heart is still very heavy for my friend and teacher, Dr. Gordon Page. He met the oncologist, Dr. Lynch, and we've been asked to pray for her and for all the Drs. and nurses that will tend Gordon. He will have a chemo orientation on Wednesday of this week and Thursday they put in a port for the chemo. They are hoping chemo will start sometime in the next couple of weeks. He is already in a lot of pain and can only be in one position for about 5 minutes or so.

Other things that remain on my heart are my kids - Daughter's health, son's relationships, Daughter #2's anxiety, the organs arrival and installation, Finances and Hubby's stresses.

The young man that we gave the old organ to has strong desires to be a serious organ student. It's so exciting to see him positively giddy about learning the organ. Last night one of our orchestra members handed him an extra copy of the ring bound hymnals for him to take home and use for practice. His face lit up like it was Christmas morning! What I find particularly interesting and exciting is that when all this first began about possibly purchasing an organ, our new pastor was concerned that I am too old to be playing it much longer and that they would be wasting money because no one is going to want to use it once I am done. I tried to explain to him that if we had an organ of quality perhaps God would send someone else along who is interested, someone perhaps I could teach to follow after me. He scoffed. It's so wonderful to see this young man step in and whether or not he stays around once he's finished with school, it still speaks to the fact that there are young people out there that want this, that it's not as dead as Pastor wanted everyone to believe. It's as if God is giving us confirmation that the new organ and the timing of everything has been in His will all along.

It looks like we will see the sun a good bit today and that is also a blessing!

No Conception

The organ was removed from our church on Friday and I found myself not quite knowing how to act in church without my usual routine. I tried to listen - to the singing, to the music as a whole without the use of an organ and to the people. 

Many people at church are excited for the new organ and while that's good, I'm finding as I filter comments that they have no conception as to what I will have to go through before I'm prepared to play it publically. I knew this would be the case but I wasn't prepared for the degree. I wasn't prepared for the stress of their anticipation. 

My mentor and I have been somewhat planning a dedicatory service/recital/hymn sing that would be a time of praise to God for His provision of the organ and a chance to worship

and get to know what the new instrument can do. I've been thinking about the hymns I'd like to have sung, about the solos we would play etc and getting a little excited - after all, I've been anticipating this day for 22 years! So today during church we sang A Mighty Fortress - good hymn...no problem. After we finished singing, Pastor steps to the pulpit and says "Julie, you need to practice that hymn because when we get the new organ in, I want to rock out to that hymn, it's one of my favorites". I smile...his choice of words annoys me a bit, but ok. Then he says "I'm planning a worship and praise service for the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving, hopefully we'll have the organ installed and ready to go by then and we'll have a time of praise and thank God for all He has done". WHAT??? This is the first I have heard of it!! The organ could be 2-3 weeks before delivery, then it has to be installed, voiced, registrations set up etc. and THEN I have to spend HOURS getting to know it, how to use it, where things are, much less registering each and every piece I want to play. Sorry folks...you just don't move it in, plug in it and BOOM...DONE! How can all this possibly be prepared by Thanksgiving? My Mentor and I were thinking MAYBE by mid December if all goes well and I wanted him to be able to join us and he has responsibilities on Sunday mornings. While I appreciate Pastors excitement and what he is trying to do, I don't know how to make him see that I have hours and hours of work ahead of me before this can happen and I still have a teaching job and a household to run. I am also disappointed that he is planning all this and not even consulting me all the while I have in my own mind how I wanted it to be, what would be sung, what Scriptures would be read, etc. I feel as though

someone just popped my balloon!! I feel as though I have no say as to anything that goes on in that church musically. I majored in church music in Bible college and I don't get to use my education, I'm just told do this, play that and play it this way. While I am beyond grateful for the new organ, who wants a new toy only if you have to play with it the way someone else tells you. And...maybe I am being childish? 

I do know this, I have a long list of things I need to do and yet all I can think about is what he said...it keeps ringing in my ears like an annoying song and everytime it plays out again, I feel my heart rate quicken and I can't breathe. I'm so upset and so annoyed and I don't want to dwell on it because I'm afraid it will cause me to snap at the wrong person at the wrong time. I'm not sure how I'm going to deal with this when the time comes, but there are a few people in that church that need an education. It just seems to me whenever I open my mouth to try to enlighten in love, I'm brushed aside like I'm the one without a clue. 

Well, there it is...my rant for this afternoon. If you have read this far, I thank you for listening, now back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Very Fall Saturday

For those of you who might be wondering, no, I did not get everything accomplished on my to do list of yesterday. I did manage to get quite a lot done though and went to bed knowing I had done my best and took care of the most pressing.

I got my chores done and my errands run and after supper I went out to the garden and pulled up everything except the tomatoes which still have not ripened and the rutabaga. I do need to go out and pull up one rutabaga this morning for my stew I'm making for tomorrow. I did pull up the remainder of the carrots and beets and brought in what greens I could salvage - they're not good enough for a salad, but I will juice them just to use them up. I even found some wild Johnny Jump-ups in my garden among the tomatoes and decided to pick a few and press them for my scrapbooks. I hope to go out next week and dig them up and transplant them to my front bed and say a prayer that they will come up next spring. Whenever I see a Pansy or a Johnny Jump Up I think of my mother who loved them. When we moved in here just after her death, they were popping up every day all over the lawn - now in the garden. Somehow I think it's her way of letting me know she's smiling down at us and approves of our endeavors. That's what I'm going with anyway.

Last nights supper of hamburger patties, home fries and steamed garden beets and carrots was amazing!! Beets and carrots together make a wonderful fall vegetable choice and so pretty to serve out. I just love that color of purple in the fall and that combined with the orange of the carrot was just as pleasing to look at as it was to eat. I took a picture, but it didn't turn out.

My projects continue today - I hope to get to my letter writing and my computer files...I can't find anything in there! Before all that though, I'm planning a trip to the scrapbook store - they're having a "make and take day". We go in at our convenience, sit at the table and make cards from kits they have created. Each card we make costs only $1.00 and the proceeds go to the local animal shelter. It will be nice on a gray day with Hubby gone teaching an all day hockey seminar, to get out and visit with the ladies and hopefully come home with some new card ideas.

Well, it's time to get my cleaning done so I can head over to the store.

Finally Friday

I have a lot on my mind this morning so I'm hoping to lay out my plans for the day to organize my thoughts. 

*General cleaning and household chores

*Get in some exercise

*Get out to the garden to bring in some more veggies to chop and freeze

*Work on my rubber stamp project - I'm taking my rubber stamps off of the blocks and putting them in an album for better storage

*Write some letters

*Practice

*2 lessons to teach this afternoon 

*Run to the bank then over to the church to put my recitals on the calendar

*Hamburgers, home fries, steamed, buttered fresh garden beets and carrots for supper

Some things on my heart:

*My daughter, is sick and seeing 3 specialists -pray for healing

*Dr. Gordon Page - please pray: drgordonpage.tumblr.com

*Finances

*Many of my students are now going to every other week either because of 

financial strain or busy schedules - please pray for more new students to take up the slack the others are leaving behind. My rates are right in with the other teachers in the area, even less in some cases and I have not raised them in 5 years. 

*My son is dating a new girl - pray for wisdom

*The arrival and installation of the new organ -pray for safety, timing and ease

*Obama Care - praying for God's intervention 

Blessings:

*Garden Produce

*Enough for today

Josh Groban - For Always

A Light Glows on October 3

It's a gray, cloudy day today and it rained quite a bit this morning - very fall like. I'm lighting a candle today in honor of my mother; today would have been her 86th birthday. I usually try to do something special on this day, but with a lesson right in the middle of the day, it's a bit difficult to very much. Perry Como is singing in the background...he was her favorite. I miss her terribly. 

Today I'm trying to catch up on correspondence, blogs, emails and letters as well as sort through some computer files. If time, I'll work on some cards. 

I'm enjoying the cooler temperatures, but not the lack of sunshine. I'm not quite ready to "hunker down" just yet, so I'm hoping for more sunny days ahead. I still have a few chores I need to do before the weather turns bad. We made a total of 22 1/2 quarts of applesauce and after giving away 2 boxes of apples, we still have  a box full to deal with. I decided to juice some and put that in the freezer as well. 

I'm enjoying my students; each one is a joy. I could still use a few more to fill the days, but in the meantime I plan to use the time to get myself organized around here. I'm still trying to get my Etsy store up and running and make more cards to put up for sale. I hope this weekend I can get several made and get pictures taken of them for the website. 

The new organ has yet to be picked up, but they are predicting we should have it sometime in the next couple of weeks, then the work really begins. I have been spending more time at the piano recently which is a good thing. I have been trying to work up a piece of Christmas music my college professor arranged. It's quite challenging and my brain just refuses to wrap itself around some of the patterns and surprises it holds. Still I soldier on...I would really love to play it this Christmas in his honor. Please continue to play for Dr. Gordon Page, he has his consultation today. http://drgordonpage.tumblr.com/ One of the things on my to-do list is to make him a card and send him a real letter. 

Hubby continues to worry me. He is restless in his sleep...when he sleeps - I know he has so much pressing on his mind that he refuses to discuss and I don't know how to help. We continue to pinch our pennies and to no avail. Now with the healthcare requirements...UGH! We can't afford insurance, nor can we afford the penalty. How they figure it's affordable for everyone is beyond me!! Our country is in such a mess and between that and the other discouragements and sadness in my life I struggle to stay positive but I keep going back to Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble." 

For some reason I keep thinking today is Friday...wishful thinking?